HKU develops app to monitor home-based advanced cancer patients
HKU Medicine has developed Hong Kong's first one-stop cancer management app, "Home Support", to help advanced cancer patients monitor conditions at home. A two-year study with over 1,200 patients showed it improved quality of life, reduced unplanned hospitalisations, and boosted self-care confidence
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) Medical Faculty has developed Hong Kong's first one-stop cancer health management mobile application, "Home Support" (家支援), to help advanced cancer patients receiving end-of-life care at home continuously monitor their condition. The app provides online nursing support to reduce the risk of emergency visits and unplanned hospitalisations.
From 2023 to 2025, a research team conducted a two-year large-scale study in collaboration with six public hospitals, recruiting more than 1,200 advanced cancer patients receiving palliative care in the community. The patients had a median age of 78, and were followed up for 18 weeks. Among them, 590 patients or their family members used the app and completed weekly symptom assessment questionnaires to receive personalised nursing advice. If the system detected severe symptoms, it automatically alerted dedicated nurses, who followed up within one to two working days.
Dr Chan Wing-lok, Associate Professor in the Department of Clinical Oncology at HKU Medical Faculty and project lead, said the study results showed that patients using the app were better able to maintain a healthy quality of life after 18 weeks. The proportion of unplanned hospitalisations decreased, and patients' self-care confidence significantly improved. He expressed hope that the app could be promoted for use in other hospitals in the long term.